Glossary of American Football - Y

Y

YAC

1. Yards After Catch; the amount of yardage gained after initial catch. A quarterback's length of pass is the distance from where the line of scrimmage is, to where the receiver caught the ball. YAC is the distance the ball carrier ran after the initial catch. Screen pass plays boosts YAC effectively due to the short passes, and the receiver has to run to increase yardage.

2. Yards After Contact.

Y-receiver

1. A designation used in play calling for the offense's third receiver in a play. This is usually either the slot receiver or a tight end, depending on the play. For example, "Buffalo Right 534 Boot Y Corner" tells the Y-receiver to run a corner route.

2. The offense's primary tight end in a play.

yard

One yard of linear distance in the direction of one of the two goals. A field is 100 yards (120 when both end zones are included). Typically, a team is required to advance at least 10 yards in order to get a new set of downs. Identical in length to the standard unit of measurement (3 feet or 36 inches).

yard Line

A marking on the field that indicates the distance (in yards) to the nearest goal line.

yardage

The amount of yards gained or lost during a play, game, season, or career.

yards gained

See yardage.

yards from scrimmage

The amount of yards gained by the offensive team advancing the ball from the line of scrimmage.

yellow flag

See flag